Custom Flower Arrangements

Local Florists Do It Better

June 22, 2016 by Rachel Brantley 1 Comment

Take a second to think about what the most important thing to you is as a customer? LinkedIn conducted an interesting study investigating the top five things customers see as important. Out of the survey respondents, 48 percent cited value for money, cost, price or competitiveness as one of their three most important things.

The LinkedIn article states that, “47 percent of survey respondents stated that customer service was one of their three most important things. The ability of organizations to help consumers at every stage of the journey is critical here, including the ability and willingness to sort out issues as they arise.”

Real local florists are experts in these two categories and blow online wire services out of the water.

What is an online wire service?

When someone orders flowers from an online wire service they order a stock photo of a bouquet and then the order gets sent to a real florist. The problem though is that the wire service will take a large percentage of the order to profit for themselves, some even up to 50 percent. This leaves florists with a hard time making any money. There are also third parties, known as order gatherers, that have set up websites to look like flower shops but are not. Order gatherers set up gateway pages and use Google keywords to make them appear to be local. Order gatherers also take a large chunk of the profits again leaving florist at a loss.

It is impossible for these middle men to provide the same type of value and service that a local florist can provide, which is why at FSN we always send orders directly to real local florists without taking a percentage of the total. Only at a local florist can you trust that your money is going directly towards a high-quality arrangement. Here is a short list of the important qualities that you can only find in a local florist.

-Customized designs
-Personal attention and connection
-On-time delivery
– Years of experience
-High-quality arrangements
-Exceptional customer service from start to finish

Spread the word
Many people are unaware of these wire services and order gatherers that are hurting the floral industry. Take a stand with us and encourage your family and friends to always buy from a trusted local florist.

At Flower Shop Network we are a community committed to supporting local florists. We connect customers to florists in our network directly and NEVER take a percentage of the order. We also ensure that each florist in our network is a true, local business.

Don’t let order gatherers and wire services take chunks of your money.

Support local florists. Spread the word.

Visit My Local Florist

Filed Under: Floral Industry News, Florist Spotlights Tagged With: Custom Flower Arrangements, Local Florists

Every Person Has A Story, Let Us Tell Yours With Flowers

January 14, 2013 by Mandy Maxwell Leave a Comment

What’s your story? What are the biggest accomplishments in your life? You don’t have to be an astronaut to have a great story. It could be your faithful devotion to gardening, crafts or family. It could be your love of hobbies like scrapbooking, reading or climbing mountains. What story do you want to tell?

If you’re having friends over, throwing a party, or just want a little pick-me-up for yourself, why not let your florist to tell the story through flowers? Most floral designers are very creative and would love the challenge of interpreting your story through color, flowers and accessories.

These custom arrangements don’t have to be over-the-top or huge, but the subtle, creative ways flowers are arranged can tell more of a story than you might expect.

Here are some examples:

Yoga Guru – A yoga teacher wants to have a very special class with her students. She asks her florist to create something to tell the story of yoga through flowers. The florist creates something like the arrangement to the right. The bamboo-like Equisetum adds an Eastern quality to this arrangement and the way it’s standing tall and used bent reminds viewers of the flexing yoga poses.

Streeeeetching Creativity With Your Local Florist

February 1, 2012 by Mandy Maxwell 1 Comment

“Isn’t it great to be in a business where we are able to be creative!! Sometimes my customers streeeeetch my creativity to it’s limits, but I think that is how it grows!! Love my customers & this business…I think unique requests keep our minds from growing stale!!” – Buds ‘N Bows Flower Shop, Crawford GA

One of our great member florists wrote this on our Facebook yesterday, and I just had to share. It’s easy to forget that florists are also artists and love the challenge of creating something truly custom, just for you. From a unique bouquet inspired by your favorite band (Yes, I’ve seen Greatful Dead-themed flowers), to using special items to create flowers that are intimately personal (such as using Grandma’s teapot as a vase).

When you send flowers, take your time and think about what special details would mean the most to the recipient. Not just, what are their favorite colors and flowers, but also think about their hobbies, collections, obsessions or anything else that represents that individual.

Get Creative This Valentines Day!

Valentine’s Day is coming up. What ways can you get creative for your Valentine? Have a girl who likes to paint? Add a few paint brushes in with her flowers. Have a girl who can’t get enough zebra print? Sounds like a MUST for your flowers. All it takes is a little thought and, of course, your local florist.

To custom order something for your sweetie this Valentines Day, DON’T WAIT! Order your flowers today! And always always always use a real local florist! If you don’t know yours, you can use our handy florist finder to find them.

Filed Under: Flower Suggestions, Gift Ideas Tagged With: Custom Flower Arrangements, Sending Custom Flowers, Valentines Day, Valentines Day Flowers

Flower Arranging With Children

September 14, 2011 by Flower Shop Network 1 Comment

Are you looking for something new to do with your kids? A new project that will showcase their creativity and imagination? Why not introduce the art of flower arranging? Flowers are bright and beautiful, with so many different characteristics, shapes and scents, your child will be captivated by the experience!

Arranging a basket with fresh cuts to spruce up the kitchen.
Creating beautiful potted plants to sit on the front porch is a great project for little hands.
A heart-felt arrangement made especially for grandma and grandpa.

Each season brings a different variety of flowers to pick from, each with their own special needs. Your local florist will be able to share with you the most appropriate flowers-types for children to handle. With some being more durable and sturdy than others, your florist will guide you in the process of choosing the most suitable flowers for your project. Letting your child pick out the flowers is a great way to get them going. Daisies, carnations and sunflowers are always a big hit. Whether you are picking from a garden or from your local flower shop it is a sure way to put a smile on their face.

Tip: Most local florists also sell loose flowers by the bunch. Take your children on a short trip to meet their florist, and be introduced to all the great flowers this season has to offer. Let them pick out their favorites to use in creating flower arrangements at home.

Now Let’s get started!
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Filed Under: Flower Suggestions, Gift Ideas, Tips & Tricks Tagged With: Custom Flower Arrangements, Flower Arrangements, Flowers For Kids, Gift Ideas

Celebrate Tour De France With Flowers For Your Cyclist

July 6, 2011 by Mandy Maxwell Leave a Comment

The world famous Tour de France 2011 competition is going on now! Running from Saturday July 2^nd to Sunday July 24^th, the 98^th Tour de France will consist of 21 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,430.5 kilometers.

Our cycling fans here at FSN are just itching to get home to see more of the race! If you, or someone you know are glued to the tube watching race results, this custom flower idea is just the thing for you!

Winners Wear

For those out of the loop (like me), there are different types of winners at the Tour de France signified by what jersey they wear:

YELLOW JERSEY – the over-all winner

GREEN JERSEY – fastest sprinter

WHITE & RED POLKA DOT JERSEY – best mountain climber

WHITE JERSEY – competition for young riders

The thing about the Tour de France we love is how they incorporate colors with their award bouquets. For each stage, a new winner is given the appropriate colored jersey (as mentioned above) to wear in the next round, and also a matching bouquet!

3rd Stage Winners: Mountain: Gilbert Philippe (Germany) Young Rider: Geraint Thomas (G.Britain) Sprinter: Jose Joaquin Rojas (Spain) Over-all Winner: Tyler Farrar (American)

Need Gifts For A Cyclist?

Choose flowers in the colors above to match your cyclist’s favorite player or their style!

Floral Design With You In Mind: How To Order Custom Flowers

January 17, 2011 by Mandy Maxwell 1 Comment

When you think flowers, you might think of sending flowers for Valentines Day, or maybe as a thank you or get well gesture. But floral design has come a long way, and it doesn’t always have to be sent as a gift.It’s not just about flowers for you anymore, it’s about flowers for me. Flowers in your home as fresh decorations. Get to know your florist. Take them an example of your style such as a swatch of paint, a throw pillow, or even a picture and have them match your style exactly!

Nothing lifts the spirits and puts a smile on someone’s face like the beauty of flowers. Why not have them displayed in your most high-traffic areas? This is especially ideal if you are throwing a party or even having a small get-together. Your local florist can either create a floral arrangement to match your home, or a themed arrangement to match your party.

So How Do You Order Custom Flower Arrangements?

It’s so easy. First, find a local florist, if you don’t already use one. Flower Shop Network makes it easy, just type in your city in the top of our site, choose and state and click go! This will bring up a list of real florists in your location.

Using a local florist directly ensures you get the BEST bang for the buck: professional service, quality design and the freshest flowers!

Next, pick up a phone and call them or go into the store and meet them. Explain to them your type of decor and what colors you use most. If you use mostly blues with orange accents, make sure they know which colors are the most dominate. You might even offer to email them a photo of the room your decorating. If you’re visiting the shop, take a few items from the room for your florist to use as inspiration.

If you have ideas in mind, or photos of arrangements you’ve seen in magazines, share those with your florist as well! Here’s a little secret: most florists are VERY creative people and love a challenge. Tell your florist if you have any favorite types of flowers. If you have a bit of an art background, you might even suggest design elements to match your style. such as: asymmetrical, minimalistic, geometric, etc.

Many florists also offer custom orders from their website. Most of the time there is a description box for you to explain what you are looking for in a custom floral design. Here, type what you are looking for and any special requests you might have.

Here’s a tip: If you are ordering flowers for yourself or someone special and don’t have a preference on how it looks, the Designers Choice is a great choice! This let’s the florist be creative and do whatever they want. Florists will often use the best flowers and their favorite accessories to make something truly unique and special.

So remember, next time you can’t decide while browsing flower arrangements online, or looking for something completely YOU, custom flower arrangements are your best option for fabulous home decor.

This post is brought to you by local Nashua, NH florists.
Not in New Hampshire? No worries, Flower Shop Network makes it easy to find your local florist with their handy online directory.

Filed Under: Floral Design Tagged With: Custom Floral Design, Custom Flower Arrangements, Sending Custom Flowers

Just How MAD is she? Send Flowers!

November 16, 2010 by Mandy Maxwell Leave a Comment

Did you forget an anniversary? Skip shopping for football? Talk bad about her *delicious* cooking? Well, shame on you… but there is hope…

How To Make Your Wife Happy

The best way to make your wife or girlfriend happy again, is by surprising her with something special — send flowers. Not just ANY flowers will do, send her a bouquet of her FAVORITES. If you don’t know her favorite flowers, send her favor color. If you don’t know you’re wife’s favorite color, you’re going to be sending a lot more flowers in your future.

Talk to your florist about your wife, tell her what styles she’s into: vintage, contemporary, glitzy, traditional, minimalistic, etc. Your florist will be able to create something wonderful based on just a few details you can tell her about your wife. Florist LOVE creating custom flower arrangements. In fact, if you are the type of guy to only shops online, most florists will have a Designer’s Choice option on their websites. Choose this option when sending flowers online. You will be able type in a comment, and tell the florist all about your girlfriend or wife.

Keeping Your Wife Happy

Keep the fire alive with spontaneity! Send her flowers just because throughout the year. Here’s a little, not-so-secret secret: women love attention. Receiving flowers at work for no reason will have your wife smiling from ear to ear, and boasting about her fabulous hubby. Every day she walks into her office and sees her desk full of meaningful blooms, she will be in an instant good mood.

Stop by your local florist after work occasionally and pick up a hand-tied bouquet of flowers to bring home to her. Hand delivered is the best flower delivery. This is a great habit to make — keep your wife happy and make her feel special, that is your job after all.

This post is brought to you by local Miami florists.
Not in Miami FL? No worries, use Flower Shop Network’s handy directory of real local florists to find a florist near you!

Filed Under: Gift Ideas Tagged With: Custom Flower Arrangements, Designers Choice, favorite flower, Flower Delivery, Sending Flowers, Sending Flowers Online